Develop an understanding of your body, both artistically and scientifically, while discovering your personal optimal potential. Rider’s holistic Dance Program will help you develop independence, creativity, strength and resiliency. Our physical therapist works with all students to prevent injuries and provides care to individuals when needed. We concentrate on the mind-body connection, promoting focus, self-awareness and an understanding of the physical, artistic, socio-cultural, emotional and spiritual aspects of dance.
Performance opportunities include main stage concerts, Dance Days, Family Weekend and Homecoming, senior capstones and opportunities with a variety of student dance groups.
Every year students work with professional dance artists to create and perform original pieces. Our faculty will work with you to promote a sense of mindfulness and well-being, including addressing psychological hurdles such as performance anxiety and body dysmorphia. Our program offers B.A. degrees in Dance Performance and Dance Science and a Dance Studies Concentration with Elementary Education.
B.A. in Dance/Performance, a total of 47 credits including applied studio, theory, history, choreography, improvisation, technical theater, repertory, cultural theory, somatics, Pilates, conditioning for mind/body, pedagogy and capstone projects.
B.A. in Elementary Education/Dance Studies, a full Elementary Education degree with 32 credits in Dance, including applied studio, pedagogy, history, choreography, improvisation, cultural theory and Pilates.
B.A. in Dance Science, 38 credits in dance including applied studio, theory, history, choreography, improvisation, technical theater, repertory, cultural theory, somatics, Pilates, conditioning for mind/body, pedagogy; an additional 37 science credits including anatomy, kinesiology, nutrition, psychology and work with kinesiology professor or physical therapist. Students can choose a Capstone Project in either science or dance.
Watch our dance students perform on stage at past events.
Dance performance graduates leverage their intensive training and knowledge of the art form to prepare for a variety of arts-related roles or careers that extend beyond performance. Students may also go on to graduate school to become dance/movement therapists, dance physical therapists, nutritionists and researchers.
Where will a Rider education lead you? Read the stories of our current students and alumni to discover how they use their Dance, B.A. degree to promote creativity and artistry in their wide-array of careers.
The dance program, in general, gave me a broader view of what dance can do. Before Rider, I thought dance was just for performance — learning choreography and steps — but after taking all these different classes, I see that dance is just so much more.”
Apply your artistry as a therapeutic technique and enhance your undergraduate studies with our accelerated 4+2 option. You’ll earn an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and qualify to become a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) AND a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
Our program will strengthen your technique and stimulate your mind. Learn about the history of dance through a multicultural and inclusive lens, embody movement theories that promote optimal performance, explore dance as social activism and investigate how science intersects with dance. Become an informed, self-aware dancer with agency, who understands the body-mind connection, has a unique perspective and contributes to the world of dance and beyond.
Learn more about financial aid, tuition and the various options we offer to make your college education affordable.
Department Chair, Associate Professor, Program Coordinator, Arts & Entertainment Industries Management
Department of Performing Arts
Fine Arts Building
tdellinger [at] rider.edu
609-896-5246
Academic Focus: Arts Administration
